Mistoffelees-The Original Conjuring Cat [complete]
by MoshPit
Summary: Yet another Misto life story. finished. Whee.
1. The Beginning

Mistoffelees: The Original Conjuring Cat

By Quaxo'

__

.

Mistoffelees loved the flowers. Well, not so much the flowers as he did picking them with his parents. His father Wind Dancer, a black tom, was allergic to pollen and only tolerated flowers because of his wife Moonshadow, a white queen. In truth, Moonshadow thought flowers were not all that grand, but went along because she thought the other two enjoyed it. They never really did much in the way of picking the flowers. Mistoffelees, being all of seven, would rip all the petals off anyway, and then scold the flowers for appearing indecent in public. They all got a laugh out of that. They were a happy family.

They picked flowers the day it happened. Moonshadow had found a dandelion for Mistoffelees, and both she and Wind Dancer were engrossed in watching their son rip the many petals off one at a time. He was halfway through when he sensed something.

"Mama, something is coming. Something bad." Moonshadow and Wind Dancer exchanged worried looks. Their son was showing the first signs of magic. This would endanger his life.

Both cats stood, fearing the worst. It was the worst that came. Over the horizon came a herd of townscats, led by a headstrong young tom known as Munkustrap. Angry stares came from his followers, along with many deranged cries.

"Down with witches!"

"Death to all evil!"

"Get out of our town, you Hadean creatures!" The troop of angry townscats stopped in front of the frightened 'witches'.

"Moonshadow and Wind Dancer, you have been accused of performing witchcraft, and in doing so, you murdered the following respected citizens: George, Bill Baily, and the honorable Judge Carbucketty. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Wind Dancer vainly attempted to shield Mistoffelees behind him. "Munkustrap, you idiot! We are but simple magicians who are capable of no more than a few parlor tricks. Please spare our lives."

"You claim you are not witches, yet you do in fact know magic."

"That is correct."

"Witch! Witch!" the cries rang up from all around Mistoffelees and his parents.

"Take them to the town square! They shall be burned for their crimes!" screamed Munkustrap, and two off his nameless followers dragged Moonshadow and Wind Dancer away. Someone grabbed Mistoffelees roughly by the neck, but he had closed his eyes so tight, he was unable to see whom.

^-,-^

Mistoffelees finally opened his eyes to discover that someone had placed a tight fitting collar around his neck. Connected to the collar was a piece of rope that was tied to a post. Mistoffelees pulled at the collar, but it grew tighter, causing him slight discomfort. He looked for his parents, trying to see if they could free him. He saw Old Duetoronomy, the Jellicle leader and a very good friend of the family, hanging his head in shame. He heard sinister laughter and looked up to see Munkustrap cackling and pointing at a large, wooden stage. On it, tied in most uncomfortable positions to posts, with piles of wood at their feet, were Moonshadow and Wind Dancer. 

"Mistoffelees! Mistoffelees, we love you!" cried his mother. "We will always love you, don't you forget that!" echoed his father. Mistoffelees' breath quickened as he saw the two that had taken his parents set fire to the stage.

"**Mama! Mama, papa, no! Duetoronomy! Duetoronomy you have to help them! You have to SAVE them, they were good cats! They were good cats AND YOU KNOW IT! Duetoronomy**!" 

The young cat began pawing at the ground, not caring that the collar would soon choke him into unconsciousness. He continued calling for his friend as his mother began to scream louder. The smell of burning flesh reached his nostrils and his stomach lurched. He blinked away the tears that threatened to drown his face and tried to reach the fire. He could see his father hang limply from the pole he was tied to. He was already dead. Wind Dancer was allergic to many things, smoke being one of them. He had allowed himself to be suffocated before any pain came. Moonshadow was not so lucky. Mistoffelees could see her clearly. All her fur had burned off already and her skin had turned a charred black. It was apparent that any movement would send her into a traumatizing pain, yet she persisted to try to release herself. A final flame reached up and engulfed the two cats, leaving behind only two charred posts.

"**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! MAMA! PAPA! COME BACK! PLEASE**, come back." Mistoffelees hurled himself at the stage as the pure white spirits were lifted up to the Heavyside Layer, ignoring the fact that his windpipe was nearly crushed. The townscats were so busy congratulating themselves on ridding their good town of evil, no one noticed two small, silver essences spring forth and embed themselves in Mistoffelees' tiny white chest.

^-,-^

Eight years had passed since that night. Eight years since Munkustrap so "graciously" let Mistoffelees live. He remembered the exact words: "If you prove useful, you will live, for now." 

A new generation of kittens had come, and Duetoronomy had decided to put an end to the old medieval ways of life, and they became the peace-loving Jellicles we all know and love. Most of the town elders were able to forget most of the old teachings. Most of them. One was determined to keep the old ways alive somehow. He would teach the new kittens to fear and hate magic. He would rid the world of that boy, even if it meant killing them all.

^-,-^

"Levinius. Levinius, levinius, levinius! Argh! Work darn you, work! Why won't you levitate, you stupid plate! Urrmph! How did mother _do_ this?"

"Do what, boy?" Mistoffelees whirled around and saw his gray and black monster.

"Nuttin'. I wasn't doing anything," he said with mock confidence.

"Not even…magic?"

"Oh no, not magic. Why on Earth would I do something like _that_?" His voiced dripped with sarcasm. He tensed when he felt Munkustrap's claws dig into his shoulder.

" Do you have a death wish, Pussycat? Perhaps you don't remember what today is? I do. Deutoronomy may not approve , but what he doesn't know, can't hurt him." Munkustrap released his grip on Mistoffelees' shoulder. "Oh," he said, standing "you missed a spot on those plates." He left with a sneer.

Mistoffelees spat on the ground. In a sense, he _did_ have a death wish. Or rather, he wished Munkustrap's death, if that counted. Frustrated, he tossed his hands into the air, and a single, weak bolt of blue lightning erupted from his fingertips, landing on the wood for the night's fire, sending it into flames. As he desperately tried to put the small fire out, the fur on the back of his neck stood on end, like somecat was watching him. He looked to the shadows, and he swore he saw a cat-maybe two- disappear into the gray gloom.

Outside, two cats nearly identical to each other appeared and slunk into the undergrowth of the forest surrounding the village. 

"So the boy-" whispered one. 

"-he _is_ alive." finished the other, and they crept further into darkness.

^-,-^

Mistoffelees padded quietly down the busy village street. He knew none of the younger kittens would talk to him, for they still abided by the 'don't talk to strange cats' rule. Any of the cats his own age didn't trust him; he had no idea as to why.

Since the kittens wouldn't talk to him, and the younger cats wouldn't talk to him, and since most mothers and fathers were too busy, he went to see Duetoronomy, to ask the same question he did every day.

"Why did you let them die?"

^-,-^

The only other person who actually had time to talk with Mistoffelees was Skimbleshanks, who ran the town's railway station. A train master has to keep a level head, you know. Still, he adored the young cat, and no one really seemed to mind much. 

That day, Skimbleshanks was watering down the station, thanks to a herd of muddy feet. He looked up to watch some kittens playing, and saw his favorite tom walking around them.

"Mistoffelees! Hello!" The adolescent raised his head, and hurried towards his favorite stationmaster. 

"Skimbleshanks! How are you? Have you been feeling alright?" Skimble smiled. Such a polite little tom. He would have to show him to Jennyanydots sometime. 

"Stoff, ye ask me the same question every day, and every day I give ye the same answer. I'm fine. Haven't had any problems with the old ticker since last year. Say, ye look like ye need a good some thin' to do. A train's going to be coming by any minute now; why don' ye stay and help me with the passengers?"

"Oh no I couldn't. You see—" 

"Balderdash. Ye go see that great lump every day. Stay with me fer once." After a great deal of poking and pleading, Mistoffelees finally ended up standing impatiently with Skimblshanks waiting for the 5:00 train. The distant rumbling and familiar hiss of steam marked the train's arrival. 

Mistoffelees unconsciously leaned out to see the train.

"Here she comes, m'boy!" Skimble cried excitedly as he slapped Mistoffelees softly on the back. The train gave a gentle screech as it came to a stop.

"Wow." Mistoffelees stared up at the metal monster with awe. He had never seen anything so large.

"Right then. We had better get a move on, aye Stoff?" Mistoffelees nodded blankly, and followed his mentor into the train.

^-,-^

How busy the train was! Filled with Queens and Toms of all shapes, breeds, and sizes, it sure was a site to see. Skimblshanks cupped his paws to his mouth and called out in his gruff bass voice.

"Sixth stop: Jellica! All those gettin' off, grab yer' luggage an' come to the front o' the car!" A slim red queen, a shorter, yet just as slender, black and gold queen, both clad in luxurious silk, hurried to the front of the car.

"Right then," Skimble replied, making a curt bow, "I'll take yer' bags, and ye can hand yer luggage to Stoff, miss." The red queen rudely thrust her bags into Mistoffelees' arms.

"Wait! Wait, I'm here, too!" A thin black tom with a mane came stumbling towards the front of the train. The black and gold queen rolled her eyes in disgust. The tom dumped his heavy bag into Mistoffelees' already full arms.

"There ya' go, mate. Right as rain." The red queen huffed and turned to Skimblshanks.

"Can we move it along please? I'm late for an appointment with your town leader, and I'd like to get to my apartment before I go meet him." 

"If ye need to leave, miss, Stoff will escort ye to yer' temporary apartment." The scarlet queen turned to Mistoffelees and studied him.

"This? This little worm? He doesn't look fit to be a slave cat." Mistoffelees was taken back. He had been called many a rude name, but nothing like this.

"I'm not a slave," he said bluntly, "and if you're going to be so rude, you can find your own way, miss…"

"Bombalurina."

"Miss Bombalurina. Good day." He calmly dropped the queen's luggage, and walked away. He was barely more than five yards when the shorter queen came running after him.

"Excuse me! Excuse me, Mr. Stoff?"

"Mistoffelees."

"Right, Mr. Mistoffelees."

"No, just Mistoffelees."

"Oh…very well. Look, I've come to ask you to forgive my sister. You see, she has had a rough life, and just narrowly escaped an abusive relationship. I do hope you don't think to wrongly of her. After all, she can't be much older than you, she's only sixteen, and has a tendency to judge people rather quickly."

"Don't worry miss…"

"Demeter."

"Right. As I was saying, you don't need to worry. I'm all for giving someone a second chance. I'd ought to be, after what happened…" Tears came to his eyes as he thought of the fateful fire. He quickly brushed them away with his hand.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to get all emotional on you. I'll go find your sister, Miss Demeter," he said as he turned to walk back to the station.

"Just Demeter will do fine, Mr. …I mean, Mistoffelees."

^-,-^

Bombalurina tapped her foot impatiently. That rude tom would surely come back after Demeter fed him her "heart-breaking story". She felt a light hand on her shoulder. 

"Do you still have your bags, Miss Bombalurina? Your sister told me you still need to find your way." Bombalurina snorted as she pointed to her luggage.

"I knew you'd be back. After what my sister told you—"

"What your sister said had nothing to do with it. If it wasn't for what _he_ did, I wouldn't have come back. You didn't deserve it. But I was brought up better than that, and I'm all for giving someone a second chance."

"_He _who?" 

"_He_ him," replied Mistoffelees, pointing in the direction of the gray and black tom that was rapidly approaching.

"What do you think you are doing!" he screamed. 

"I…I was just…just helping Miss Bombalurina to her apartment," Mistoffelees mumbled with his head down.

"Did I _say_ you could go? Did you get permission first?" 

"Skimblshanks asked me, and I was done with the dishes…" Mistoffelees felt his blood run hot; his eyes began to tear as he clenched his fists and jaw. He silently prayed the blue lightning wouldn't come like it did in the kitchen.

"And you think that gives you the right to leave without permission!" Munkustrap slapped Mistoffelees hard across the face, sending him to the ground. He heard a dull smack, and the sound of Munkustrap screaming in pain.

"Don't you dare touch him!" Bombalurina was standing over him, wiping the blood from Munkustrap's nose off her fist. Skimblshanks and the thin black tom from the train came running over.

"Look queenie, I don't care who you are or where you're from, but no one, I repeat, no one tells me what to do or not to do, got it? He's my sla…charge, and I can do whatever I want with him." Skimblshanks put a paw on Munkustrap's arm. 

"Come on, Strap, I did give him permission, and he's not your slave; that was outlawed years ago, after the…unpleasantness." Skimblshanks gave a quick glance towards Mistoffelees. He had pulled himself up off of the ground and was rubbing his sore cheek. Munkustrap sneered at Mistoffelees as he turned to leave. 

Skimble turned to his charge. "Right then, Mr. Rum Tum Tugger, why don't I show ye' to yer apartment?" Tugger licked his lips and winked at Bombalurina as he passed.

Bombalurina knelt beside Mistoffelees and grabbed one of her bags.

"The nerve of him! Treating you like some sort of slave!"

"You thought I was a slave when you first saw me." The already red queen turned a deeper shade of crimson. 

"That's different. I mean, look at you! All dirty and torn; I didn't know any better. He must have been with you your entire life! And what about your parents? Don't they know about this?"

"They can't know…they're dead." Mistoffelees spat the word out as if it were poison.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Mistoffelees turned to face the scarlet queen. He realized that this was the first time anyone asked how _he_ felt about the burning.

"He killed them. Munkustrap, he burned them alive. Thought they were witches. I was seven. Had to watch the whole thing, mother screaming with burnt flesh. Father suffocated on the spot, never felt a thing." The images still burned into Mistoffelees' mind. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"They would never have hurt anyone, magicians the both of them. Unfortunately, it was during a time where even a non-magical card trick classified you as some evil devil worshiper. If you so much as thought the word "presto", they whisked you off to the burning platform. My mum and dad, they were the first ever. It was horrible. Old Duetoronomy outlawed the practice after that. Speaking of which," he said with dry eyes, "you really must be going." Bombalurina quietly get up of off the ground, stunned by what she had heard. Neither she nor Mistoffelees saw the two identical figures watching them from the shadows.

^-,-^

Mistoffelees set the luggage down on the front porch of Bombalurina's apartment. The queen watched as the young tom tuned to leave. She had to admit she was a little sorry to see him go. She felt as though the bright fire that burned within her had grown when she met him, and now was dying just a bit. She brushed it off as just a dead feeling because she had just escaped a horrible relationship, and probably would have felt that way with anyone. What she didn't know, was that at that moment as he stood on the deck of Munkustrap's home, Mistoffelees was having a similar feeling. Shoving it aside, he put a trembling hand on the door handle. After a moment's hesitation, he opened the door and stepped inside, confidently awaiting the punishment inside.

^-,-^

Mistoffelees gingerly touched his arm. Munkustrap in the end had thrown him into the food cellar, a five-foot drop. He was careful not to lean against anything, for the last punishment had opened and reopened several wounds, and a food cellar is not the cleanest of places. 

Mistoffelees looked around him, trying to rub warmth back into his legs with his good arm. Usually, the numbing cellar was empty, but now was full of food being stored for the Jellicle Ball. 

Mistoffelees shivered. The cold of the cellar was making him tired. He lay down on the ground, ignoring his bad arm as well as the fact that the dirty floor would surely infect the open scars on his back. With heavy breaths he propped himself up on his elbows, his arm to numb for him to notice the searing pain that was racing through him. He stared towards the ceiling at a small window, just big enough for him to fit through, he supposed. 

The sun was setting, making the already freezing cellar seem even colder. Mistoffelees twitched as he began to pull himself along the floor towards the window, knocking over food sacks as he went. As he hoisted himself up onto a box of potatoes, his bad arm gave way with a sickening crunch. No amount of cold could prevent him from feeling his entire arm slide out of place. Gritting his teeth, he pulled the rest of his body onto the box. When he discovered no quiet way to remove the glass, he simply ran his fist through it, cutting his hand in more places then one.

Tired and freezing, Mistoffelees pulled himself out of the icy food cellar, collapsing with exhaustion to the ground.

^-,-^

Bombalurina thought it was just an uncomfortable bed that prompted her to take a moonlight stroll. If only it was that simple.

She wandered the grounds around her new home; she and her sister had become official Jellicles just that afternoon. Her eyes and hands observed the breathtaking scenery, but her mind strayed to Mistoffelees. Replaying the events from earlier that day, she was sure he had gotten more than just a slap from Munkustrap when he returned.

She stood there in the light of the moon, her fingers tracing the outline of a lily. Gentle moonbeams played with her fur, making her appear to be an uncut ruby. She giggled as she watched the dewdrop diamonds drip from petal to grass. 

Her ears perked up. Was it her imagination or had she just heard someone groan? She looked around, silently praying the sound came from some small animal searching for a midnight snack. She raised a hand to her mouth, for lying on the ground in front of her, was an unmoving Mistoffelees. 

^-,-^

Mistoffelees awoke to the gentle touch of a moist cloth being dabbed at his forehead. He blinked, waiting for his eyes to refocus. He realized his arm didn't hurt as much. Somecat must have put it back into place and wrapped it while he was unconscious. And, for the first time in as long as he could remember, he was actually _comfortable_. He blinked one last time, groaned, and turned his head to face his savoir. To his surprise (along with a little delight), the worried red face of Bombalurina peered back at him.

"Hey."

"Hey." A moment of silence. Bombalurina, a mix of happiness and sympathy, could contain herself no longer. She threw her arms around his neck as best she could with him lying down and cried.

"Everlasting Cat, I thought you were dead." Mistoffelees smiled.

"So did I." 

"This is not a laughing matter!"

"Do I look like I'm laughing?"

"Well, no…but you smirked! That's almost as bad!" Mistoffelees chuckled at the slim queen.

"Oh my. That's one of the many things I love about you." Bombalurina stalled. Mistoffelees realized what he said, and would have kicked himself for it, if he hadn't been lying down. The scarlet queen chewed on a claw thoughtfully.

"Did you just say what I think you did?"

"That depends. What did you think I said?"

"I think you said there are things you **love** about me. What exactly do you **love** about me?"

"Now _that_ depends on your perspective of the word 'love'. You see, some cats look at the word 'love' as-" Bombalurina, smiling all the way, had leaned over and givin Mistoffelees a soft kiss on the cheek. The small tom look at her carefully, blinked, and reached his arms around her neck to pull her closer to him. They could feel the electricity between them as they engaged in one long, passionate kiss. Without warning, Mistoffelees sat up, and, as gently as he could, pushed Bombalurina away.

"I can't do this." Bombalurina gabbed at his arm.

"How do you mean?"

"Don't you see? If I—no, if _we_—do this, he'll come after you."

"Who?"

"Munkustrap. If he found out that I cared for you even just a little, he'll come after you and hurt you. Don't say anything! Do you realize how much I would hurt if anything happened to you?

"Look, tomorrow's the Jellicle Ball. There'll be food, dancing, lots of noise…maybe we can talk there but…" his voice trailed off into nothing, hints of tears dripping down his face. He leaned over and gave Bombalurina a final kiss, whispering in her ear before he left.

"I'm sorry." 

^-,-^

Tears were streaming down Mistoffelees' face as he ran back towards Munkustrap's villa. A shadowy movement caught his eye, and he stopped to see if maybe his eyes were playing games with him. The figure was, in fact, a cat, the skinny black tom from the train to be exact. The fellow wore a bright sunny smile and was apparently calling for Mistoffelees.

"Ahoy there, little munchkin! I was wondering if you could give me a hand?" Mistoffelees, being the kind cat that he was, agreed to go along with the strange tom, as long as Munkustrap wasn't there.

^-,-^

"Y'see, I've gone and locked myself out again. Do you have a key or anything?" Mistoffelees hesitated. He debated using his magic to open the door. After all, Munkustrap wasn't there, and this tom seemed honest enough.

"Before I do anything, I have to know; do you believe in magic?"

"I depends on how one looks at the word magic. Now, in my own honest opinion, June bugs are very magical. How else can you explain picking fifteen of a rose, and finding thirty more on that same flower only five minutes later?"

"That's not what I was asking, but, alright. I'll open the door. But you cannot, I repeat, _cannot_ tell anyone what you saw. Agreed?"

"Agreed!" the tom said, smiling al the while. Mistoffelees sighed, cracked his knuckles and placed his hands on the door. Concentrating very hard, he made a mental image of the door unlocked. He made it a point to hold concentration even while the door began glowing bright blue. Mistoffelees heard a clock, and released his hold on the door. 

"Ha ha! There you go, sir. Right as rain!"

"Right as rain…yes." The tom looked at the door, then at Mistoffelees, shrugged his shoulders, and skipped of in the opposite direction, whistling, and with a slight bounce to his step. Mistoffelees watched the odd cat go.

"Curious," he mumbled, and rushed his way back into the cellar of Munkustrap's cabin.

^-,-^

The sun was rising and already preparations were being made for the night's festivities. Munkustrap had kicked Mistoffelees awake from what he thought was a deep night's sleep, when in truth, it was a few minutes of 'resting'. The short tom was laying out tables and rolling out barrels of food as the first hints of sunlight streaked across the sky.

It was almost noon when the final preparations for the ball were completed. No one was out yet. The Cats of Jellica traditionally stayed inside their houses until they were invited to join the festivities. For as long as Mistoffelees could remember, he was the one to sing the invitation. He cleared his throat and sang as loud as he could.

__

Jellicle Cats come out to-night

Jellicle Cats come one come all

The Jellicle Moon is shining bright

Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball

A pretty white kitten named Victoria had been chosen this year to aid him in singing the invite. The two sang the invitation again in perfect harmony as the villagers of Jellica emerged from their houses. The young ran fast, the younger skipped merrily, and the old hobbled out with the aid of their children. Munkustrap snatched Mistoffelees by the ear and dragged him over to a small table.

"Sit," he snarled. "Sit until they ask you to dance." The gray and black tom stalked off with a smile on his face as he began to mingle with the villagers. Mistoffelees watched as Victoria stood on the old wooden stage and sang her prepared song.

__

Did you know there's a dragon that lives out at sea

Who enjoys tea and crumpets and buzzes like a bee

And then there's the Peke that lives out in the wood

That spends all his time making shoes out of food 

Did you know that there's beast that lives under the mat

That comes out only to take a whiff of your hat

And when finished he goes back under the bed

At least, that's what Tumblebrutus said

And then, all around him, the kittens of the town chanted the chorus with the little white queen.

__

Brutus

Brutus

That's what Tumblebrutus said

Two playful kittens grabbed the young trickster Tumblebrutus up onto the stage to sing the second verse.

__

Did I ever tell of my trip to Siam

To feast upon dragon and succulent lamb

And to visit my brother (did you know he's a prince?)

Who gave me a sword and taught me how to fence

Don't tell your mothers, they'll want to know how

"How could he have gone? It's Thailand now!"

Tell father as soon as mother's gone to bed

"Guess what Tumblebrutus said!"

Brutus

Brutus

Guess what Tumblebrutus said!

Mistoffelees laughed and clapped along with the adults and watched the brash young tom swing a little queen kitten around. He silently wished he could go dance, but he knew Munkustrap was watching him…somewhere. Scarlet hands grabbed his arms and pulled him from his seat.

"Dance with me," Bombalurina demanded.

"Oh no, I don't—"

"Dance with me!" she yelled again, swinging him around by the arm as the music picked up. Mistoffelees laughed merrily, until he tripped on his tail and fell flat on his face. Bombalurina giggled and helped him to his feet. Her merry expression soon changed to dead serious as she swung Mistoffelees over to a small area of the town square.

"We really need to talk."

(A/N) I really _really_ **_really_** wanted to make this one part, but I couldn't. it was getting way too long. More to come. 


	2. The Middle

Mistoffelees: The Original Conjuring Cat

By Quaxo'

A/N: HI! Took a little longer than planned to get the second half done, but I've been doing so many other things. Shoulda' known, really, seeing as how the first half took me about a year, But I've put all other projects aside and am ready to give you the conclusion to Mistoffelees: The Original Conjuring Cat. Remember to Review!

"We need to talk." Bombalurina cast a wary eye towards the rejoicing Jellicles. Mistoffelees looked over his shoulder for Munkustrap, should the silver tabby decide it to be far to generous to let the black and white tom even talk that evening.

"You want to talk? What about."

"You know very well what about," the scarlet queen sneered.

"If you mean last night, I'm afraid I can't discuss that now." The ruby Bombalurina grabbed Mistoffelees' bad arm and squeezed… _hard_. It was all the little tom could do to not cry out.

"You'll discuss it when I say you'll discuss it!"

__

You'll speak when I say you'll speak…

Mistoffelees' eyes grew wide. This was all to familiar. The pain, the menacing glare; it was just like when he was young, and Munkustrap was 'taking care' of him. These memories scared him. More so than anything he had ever experienced, including the ruthless burning of his parents.

"Is everything all right, Bombalurina?"

"No, you little worm! Everything is _not_ all right." The tone of her voice, it reminded him so much of Munkustrap.

__

Rotten worm… _Useless… What he doesn't know…_

Mistoffelees tried to shrink away from the fiery queen, paying no heed to that fact that she was squeezing his injured arm so hard, she was in danger of breaking it right off.

"You shouldn't be here. You don't deserve to be here."

__

Don't deserve to live…

"You should have been burned as well!"

__

Burned alive… Burned to death… 

Mistoffelees clenched his hands. What had he done to make his sweet little queen so angry with him?

He closed his eyes tight, trying vainly to hold the tears in. He could feel the electricity flowing through his body and knew that if he didn't calm down, his secret would be exposed and he would be punished severely. 

A yellow stripped paw came to his rescue.

"There, there, Miss. Ye donna want to be hurtin' him, now, do ye?" A thick Scottish accent gave the identity of his savior. Mistoffelees looked up and saw that Skimblshanks had already managed to pry Bombalurina's hand off of Mistoffelees' injured arm, and it was quite clear that the crimson queen was _not_ happy with the way things were turning out. But of course, she wouldn't let it show.

"Now, Miss Bombalurina, ye won't mind if I barrow young Stoff for a wee minute, would ye?" Bombalurina smiled sweetly.

"Of course not, my dear station master." Skimblshanks grinned gratefully, and led an ever thankful Mistoffelees away from the cherry colored queen. 

Skimblshanks threw a disapproving glare Bombalurina's way.

"Auck, queens. Ye should know better than to get mixed up with them. At least, not _that_ one. Belonged to Macavity his self. Word has it she was outcast from his tribe do to some… questionable acts. It'd be a bad idea to get involved with that lass." The old stationmaster swerved Mistoffelees around to face the other queen, Demeter.

"Now her sister, well, that's a completely diff'rent tale. Innocent as a newborn kit." 

After making sure that the young tom was well out of harm's way, Skimblshanks left Mistoffelees to search for his mate. Belladova, a wiry young queen from a town in the south, lurked up behind the little tom and threw her thin arms around his shoulders.

"Do you know what day it is?" she breathed into his ear. Mistoffelees swallowed visibly. It was a custom in their tribe for a queen to choose a mate on the eve of her sixteenth year. Belladova was a blessed child, for she had the good fortune of being born on the day of the Jellicle celebration, and this was her year. 

Mistoffelees sighed, knowing full well what the smoky colored queen wanted.

"You promised you would help. You can't break a promise."

"Yes, I remember." Belladova wanted him to help her find a mate.

^-,-^

"How about Plato?"

"Plato? Are you serious?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"Well, for one thing, he's terribly boring. Last time I tried to have a conversation with him, he went on and on about the mating habit of the bumblebee!"

"Well then, what about the new guy?" Mistoffelees pointed to the Rum Tum Tugger, who was, at the moment, basking in the admiration of the younger queens. Belladova sighed deeply.

"Because of his being horribly adorable, I'm afraid I'd never be able to touch him with much less than a ten foot pole." 

Mistoffelees put his head in his hands, exasperated. 

"Dova, you have turned down nearly every one of my suggestions. Maybe you're not ready to choose a mate."

"Oh, but I am!"

"Then who do you want?" The slim queen blushed deeply. She leaned close to Mistoffelees, wringing her hands nervously.

"Well, to be honest, I've always rather liked…" she broke off there, muttering something that sounded like "Shmumble Robust", but he knew what she meant. Smiling, he gave her a gentle yet encouraging push in the direction of her crush. Catching his drift, Belladova pushed Mistoffelees away, wanting to greet the object of her affection on her own terms. Mistoffelees sent a wink in her direction, and headed towards the great bonfire. The Jellicle Roast needed to be prepared!

^-,-^

Alonzo, head chef of the village, gave Mistoffelees a hearty blow on the back upon arrival. It was meant to be friendly, but with the younger cat's bad arm, it hurt more than intended. Grimacing slightly, Mistoffelees resorted to the one thing he could do with one arm the easiest; tenderizing meat. All he had to do was whack it with the mallet.

"Are we enjoying the celebration so far Mistoffelees?" Alonzo shouted over the noise.

"Yes, very much so."

"Have you met the new arrivals yet?"

"Yes, I greeted them at the train."

"That one there," the chef said, indicating Bombalurina with a carving knife. "She seems to have adjusted quite well." The queen in question had really cut loose, and was strutting her stuff for whatever tom would watch, which was, in fact, quite a number. Mistoffelees snarled slightly, his arm becoming more apparent every second. It still baffled him how the queen who told him she loved him just last night was hurting him like this now. 

Mistoffelees was so overcome with a mix of rage and confusion, he didn't notice that Alonzo had spoken to him again.

"I'm sorry?"

"I said ease up on that hammer, son. At the rate you're going, you're likely to punch a hole in that meat." Mistoffelees allowed him self to laugh with the older tom, but the light moment was cut short by a piercing scream from one of the older queens.

"Belladova! My baby!" Alonzo and Mistoffelees hurried to where a crown was forming around the queen Adlemain. The elderly female was slumped on the ground holding close the now lifeless body of Belladova.

Adlemain pointed and accusing finger at the crowd. 

"Which one of you did this?" she screamed. "Which one of you killed my baby gem?" Munkustrap stepped towards the raging queen and 'inspected' the body. He then stood, and with an odd glint in his eyes, he pointed towards Mistoffelees.

"You did it." The homicidal calm in his voice sent chills up the young tom's back.

"I didn't."

"You were the last one with her," a voice called from the crowd. "I saw you."

"But I couldn't!"

"Why couldn't you? Why not use your mag-ik?" The normally jovial Rum Tum Tugger had lost the cheer in his voice. The chilling atmosphere made Mistoffelees back away from the group.

"He's trying to get away!" some random cat shouted. Bombalurina stepped forward, and pointed a clawed finger at the frightened tom.

"Murderer," she whispered, almost giddy. Shouts rang up from all around Mistoffelees, but one in particular reached his ears the fastest.

"One more innocent life lost to your family's name!" Mistoffelees looked for the owner of the accusation, and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw it was Bombalurina. _How could she have known…?_

There was no time for thinking now. The mob was closing in and there was no sign of mercy in their eyes.

"Stay back," Mistoffelees warned. The crowd paid no heed.

"I'm warning you," he shouted with a bit more confidence. He could feel the familiar tingle of electricity pumping through his body. "STAY BACK!" He could contain himself no longer, and felt the blue streaks of electricity bolt from his fingertips. A random cat cried in pain as a lightning bolt his him square in the chest. A clap of thunder echoed from above.

Munkustrap grinned at Mistoffelees, and lighting flashed above them all, giving the tabby a demonic appearance.

"And yet another falls to your evil." The silver and black tom raised his hand, preparing to slash the young tom across the throat. 

**__**

STOP

Both Munkustrap and Mistoffelees looked to the heavens, where the voice apparently came from. That dark storm clouds that had gathered parted, but instead of pouring down rain, sheets of blinding light streamed down on the cats below.

And then everything went white.

******************************************************************

Well? What da ya think? Good? Bad? Finish? Don't finish? What, what, what? I need the reviews! 

-Quaxo


	3. The End

Mistoffelees: The Original Conjuring Cat

By Quaxo'

A/N: Hi again. Thanx to all who reviewed. I know I said that the second chapter was the last one. I lied. And I know that some…events in the last chapter were a bit confusing, but don't worry. It will all be explained in due time. Thank you.

__

Mistoffelees…

Though his eyes were wide open, all Mistoffelees could see was white. He was vaguely aware that his body was there with him, but the weightless sensation he was experiencing made it difficult for him to tell if he was right side up or not.

__

Mistoffelees…

He was also vaguely aware that that his arm, the one he had possibly smashed beyond repair, was no longer in dire need of a surgeon. 

Mistoffelees blinked. This place, this vast white abyss, was not like anything he had seen before. He spun around, trying to find someone, _anyone_, who was in the same predicament he was. What he saw shocked him to the core.

"Mama?" he ventured warily. A shimmering white form made its way towards him. 

The white form, barely visible against the white void, came in to focus as it neared. A gentle arm reached out and stroked the frightened tom's face.

"There is no reason to be afraid, son. No harm can come to you here." Mistoffelees raised a wavering paw and clasped it around the velvet white one of his mother's. The tender moment was interrupted by a harsh voice.

"What's going on? Where am I?" A flash of black and gray and Munkustrap came tumbling towards the two of them. He looked up with a snarl on his face, but the look of anger soon changed to that of fear what he saw Moonshadow.

"No," he stammered. "No, you're dead. You're dead; I killed you." The silver tabby struggled to crawl away, which is not the easiest thing to do in a void. Two strong black arms wrapped themselves around his chest, trapping Munkustrap. Wind Dancer mumbled some words, and the tom went limp in his arms. A glimpse of red, and Bombalurina appeared near them.

"Why have you brought me here, witch?" she growled. Mistoffelees cowered against his mother's body, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"What's happening, Mother?" Moonshadow sneered in the direction of the mob of town's cats heading their way.

"Puppets," she whispered. Mistoffelees looked at her fearfully.

"I don't understand."

"They are being controlled by a higher force, son." Wind Dancer's deep voice echoed softly in the emptiness of the void. "A higher force that does not appreciate our interference with its evil ways," he added as he laid Munkustrap down.

"That explains why Bombalurina knew about the deaths," Mistoffelees said softly. As an after thought, he added, "Did you really kill those cats?" Moonshadow nodded grimly.

"We did not kill all of them. We did not kill the judge."

"When we learned of the Great Evil, we sought out its first host. Young then, we thought that by killing the host, we would kill the Evil. It didn't work. Once the host is destroyed, The Evil finds a new body. After the second unsuccessful attempt, we learned to cut the strings."

"The strings?"

"Puppet strings. We learned how to bring a host out of the Evil's control. That's when we had to loose our life." 

Mistoffelees shook his head. He understood now. 

Moonshadow gave a wave of her paws, and Bombalurina, along with the rest of the town, collapsed. Wind Dancer went to them, and with a flourish of his arms, spoke some ancient spell.

"Puppets now, I cut your strings.

"No more a part of these Dark Rings."

Mistoffelees looked hard at Bombalurina, studying her face. Some how he had known that those cruel words couldn't have been hers. 

"What will happen now?" Moonshadow stroked her son's face absentmindedly. 

"They are free now."

"Will they remember? Will they remember this place, or what they did?" Wind Dancer rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"They won't remember it well," he said finally. "They'll think of it as a dream. Some nightmare they thought they had forgotten long ago."

"What will happen to me? Will I be able to stay here, with you?" Moonshadow smiled softly.

"I am afraid not, Mistoffelees. Like it or not, your fate is also being controlled. And so are all of theirs," she added, motioning towards the still townscats. Mistoffelees shuddered, not quite sure he liked the idea of his future being laid out by some unknown creature.

Wind Dancer picked up where the white queen left off.

"Everything you do, everything you feel, it has been planned. You have been blessed with the gift if magic because your future is very great, and this gift will aid you in your journey." Mistoffelees reached out and stroked the red fur framing Bombalurina's face.

"My emotions. Does that mean I only love her because I was destined to love her?" Wind Dancer nodded. "I could have lived a long happy life without knowing that." 

"Things have a way of working themselves out. When the time comes you will be glad to have their guidance. In the meantime, these two will be able to answer any questions you may have." Wind Dancer motioned behind him as two almost identical figures came into view. They were tabbies, it seemed, with identical markings. The female stood to the left of the three, while her male counterpart stood to the right.

"Meet Coricopat," Wind Dancer started, motioning to the tom.

"And Tantomile," Moonshadow finished, gesturing to the queen. Mistoffelees stared at the two new felines.

"They've been watching me."

"Watching over you, yes. We have just now been able to contact you, but your father and I had to make sure you were still alive, so we sent Coricopat and Tantomile to act as your guardians. I feel they did rather well." A faint groan made all five cats look to the crowd of unconscious townscats at their feet. Bombalurina sat up slowly and rubbed her head.

"Where…?" She looked around, blinking her eyes a lot, trying to focus on her position. "I don't…is this…am I dead?" Wind Dancer wrapped his arms around his son and pulled him into a big bear hug.

"Mistoffelees, as much as I don't want to leave you again, I'm afraid it's time for you to go." The little tom wrapped his arms around his father and squeezed him tight.

"I understand." Moonshadow gave her son a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"We will be with you in spirit. Remember to ask Cori or Tant if you have any questions about your abilities."

"Yes mother." With a final kiss goodbye, Wind Dancer waved a paw, and the white void began to fade from sight.

^-,-^

Bombalurina blinked again, ears ringing. Shaking her head, she became aware that she was in the village again. Looking around, she saw Mistoffelees running towards her.

"You're safe!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around her.

"Yes, I suppose I am. Why? No, that's not they question I wanted to ask. Where was that?"

"Where was what?"

"That white place. Where was that?" Mistoffelees smiled, and swept the red queen into his arms.

"It was no place important. Probably just a dream."

^-,-^

Her lip curled slightly as she watched from the shadows. It wasn't fair. The master had worked so hard, so incredibly hard, to destroy that boy's spirit. He had done everything felinely possible to make the boy miserable. And he had failed. He was a failure, and it wasn't fair.

Disgusted, she turned and walked away. With a final swish off her black cloak, Victoria disappeared into the shadows.

~*~End~*~

Well, that's the end. I was planning or writing a follow up to this, but I won't unless you really, really, _really_, **_really_, _REALLY_**, want me to. But if you don't, I won't. 

You are now leaving My Imagination. Come back soon?


End file.
